“A” Sites for B-School Grads

When you’re seeking candidates with MBAs, you can make it your business to visit sites specializing in these masters. MBA Employment Connection and MBA Jungle offer three different approaches to connecting with business school graduates. A “MECA” MBA Employment Connection, or MECA, is a straightforward site that plasters important facts right on its homepage. Three current statistics appear: the number of “MBA Job Notices,” the number of “Registered Recruiters,” and the number of “MBA Profiles.” A job seeker can access the entire list of postings by clicking on the number that appears alongside “MBA Job Notices,” or by selecting “Browse.” Choosing “Search” leads to a page where keywords can be entered. Each listing includes the name of the company, the position title, location, a synopsis of the job, and the posting date. The company name then links to a full position description, along with a contact name, which returns a pop-up email window. The “MBA Profiles” section follows the same logic. Selecting the number of profiles leads to a complete list of names, as does “Browse.” “Search,” on the other hand, offers the ability to search by “Functional Interests,” “Geographic Locations,” and/or “Degree Year.” For each candidate listed, an MBA graduation date appears, along with functional interests, geographic locations, and the site registration date. Once a name is selected, a complete resume is returned. While some include postal mailing addresses and telephone numbers, all include an email link, which creates a pop-up window for online correspondence. MBAs can post profiles for free at MECA. Most profiles contain the names of individual candidates, but there is a feature that allows for confidentiality. Recruiters can browse profiles at no charge. In addition, a recruiter listing is available at the “Registered Recruiters” page at no charge. Email and Web site links are optional services available for nominal monthly fees. Since employment notices basically involve renting a page at the “Recruiter Bulletin Board,” charges are based on length of time the site is utilized. All postings include email and Web site links. This Monkey Means Business The newest site to enter the World Wide jungle is MBA Jungle. Launched in September by Jungle Interactive Media, the website is a companion to MBA Jungle magazine. Sean McDuffy, who co-founded Jungle Interactive Media with Jon Housman and Jon McBride, says the site aims to be the online destination for a new generation of business leaders. According to McDuffy, the content-rich site has been designed to provide MBAs with the sort of information they’re seeking. Including such categories as “At School,” “Career,” “News,” and “Technology,” McDuffy says the company looked at a new way to put a site together. The MBA Jungle “Career” center, which McDuffy refers to as “the information resource for MBAs,” offers several opportunities for connecting with potential employers. Using the “Resume Post” feature a candidate can add his or her resume to the Jungle database. Unlike at some sites, the database is not available to general visitors. Employers wishing to gain access must contact one of Jungle’s recruitment aids to set up an account. In the “Career” center is a category called “Company Profiles.” Here a candidate can view individual company profiles, which have been tailored to MBAs. A profile provides corporate details under such headings as “Recruiting Process,” “Interview Information,” and “Positions & Information.” It may also contain links to a corporate Web site, recent news, and other relevant information. A company can post a profile at no cost. Although there is currently no job board at the site, McDuffy says one will be available in the near future. As opposed to using it for individual jobs, however, he envisions that most companies will use Jungle’s job board for a category of positions since this is the way MBAs are typically recruited by larger firms. ‘Net Working Another potential recruitment tool at the “Career” center is the “MBA Network” feature. While the site does not provide access to resumes per se, here a candidate can opt to post personal information for the purpose of networking. The “MBA Network” allows for searching by name, school, year of graduation, state, industry, or company. In addition, the center also has a “Job Feedback” area. This is a section of the site where MBAs can provide details about summer internships, work experience before business school, and post-graduate employment. Jungle currently has people networking on campuses to encourage information input. According to McDuffy, the site is also in the process of being linked to various college and university Web sites. With many businesses looking for MBAs, making it your business to use resources like MBA Employment Connection and MBA Jungle can help you master the recruitment task. <*SPONSORMESSAGE*>